‘Tis the season for geeky gifting.

If you’re making your holiday shopping list, checking it twice, and find you have a bunch of total nerds to buy for, we’re here to help.

The secret to shopping for fangirls (and boys)  is to find something that will help them feel connected to their favorite fandom. Since virtually everyone has something they get excited about, this guide could actually give you ideas for even the trickiest friends and family members on your list. 

This year, we’ve made a point of including more small shops and businesses alongside the bigger retailers and franchises. In my experience, you’ll often find more unique, personal, and thoughtful gifts from these artisans, entrepreneurs, and creators. Small business owners can always use the support, so it’s a win-win situation for everybody in the geek community.

Here are some geek gift ideas we’ve wrapped up, all shiny, for you. Happy holidays!

1. The humorous card that’s also a gift. 

Whether you don’t know exactly what to get your geek friend, are looking for an affordable token of your affection, or simply want to poke fun at your pal’s super-nerdy obsession, Nerdy But Still Girly offers the perfect solution.

The online shop carries a line of snarky but fun greeting cards themed after a wide variety of popular fandoms, from Marvel, to Lord of the Rings, to Titanic, and everything in between. Each reasonably priced card comes with a piece of jewelry or accessory that makes for a simple, but cool gift.

Check out the examples below:

2. Funko Pops — the perfect gift. 

When in doubt about what geeky gift to give, you can never go wrong with Funko Pops. The irresistibly cute vinyl figures are like crack to fangirls and boys, and there are endless character options to choose from, inspired by TV, movies, comics, and pop culture.

Two of my recent favorites include John McClane from Christmas action classic Die Hard, and David with Noodles from ’80s vampire flick The Lost Boys.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also point out these Baby Nifflers, the shiny swag-swiping scene-stealers of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

3. Chocoholics, assemble!

Virtually everyone likes — nay, loves — chocolate, so I was amazed to discover a small business that specializes in clever, delicious confections just for nerds.

The Truffle Cottage crafts detailed novelty truffles that reflect fandoms  including Star Wars (below), Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Marvel, video games, Star Trek, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, anime, Supernatural, and more.

You can have the candies shipped to your friends, and they also do custom orders.

Truffle Cottage offers a unique twist on the British tradition of the Christmas cracker:

This Alien egg looks deadly but delicious:

4. For movie buffs.

Stuff that cinephile’s stocking with the geekiest movies of 2018.

For Marvel mavens, must-haves include Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Thor: Ragnarok.

Disney enthusiasts will love Pixar’s Incredibles 2 and — in anticipation of the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns — the classic Mary Poppins.

Star Wars junkies will want to round out their collection with Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Couch potatoes will want nothing more than to hibernate with all seven seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones, in anticipation of the final season, set to air in April.

5. For the fan art fanatic.

You’ve probably seen artist and illustrator Karen Hallion’s “She Series” collage, which recently — and deservedly — went viral on social media.

The poster features 18 kick-ass characters, including Wonder Woman, Mulan, Princess Leia, Captain Marvel and Okoye, each accompanied by a one-word inspirational motto. It’s the ideal girl-power gift for the loved one who has wall space to fill.

Hallion’s Etsy shop is also packed with gift possibilities, including a 2019 calendar featuring the artist’s whisical illustrations:

And this pin for the friend who can’t wait for the Captain Marvel movie:

Hallion’s art is also featured in the book Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy. Written by Amy Ratcliffe, this gorgeous volume examines 75 female characters from different corners of George Lucas’ vast universe, illustrated by dozens of talented artists. Star Wars fans will love it!

6. For Lego builders, big and small.

Lego is the classic geek toy, providing not only hours of building fun, but a nifty collectible when you’re finished.

If you’re looking to splurge on that special ’80s kid, Lego Ideas Voltron is made up of posable black, blue, yellow, red, and green lions that combine to create the super robot, complete with sword and shield.

Last year, No Man’s Land posted a Christmas gift guide entirely dedicated to Porgs, so you may have assumed we were done. Nope. Because who can resist this buildable Achto Island bird with opening mouth, flapping wings, a display stand, and a bonus porg mini build? (Warning: You may encounter more Porg-centric gift ideas below.)

If your budget doesn’t exactly allow for the above items, your wallet will thank you if you opt for a few Harry Potter minifigures instead. They’re so cute, your friends and family will want to collect them all.

7. For kids and kids at heart.

This Shuri Special Edition doll is just what every Black Panther fan needs:

Marvel fans’ bizarre love for Infinity War villain Thanos is as strong as ever, making this electronic Infinity Gauntlet one of the year’s most popular playthings:

Who needs a lightsaber when you’ve got this charmingly old-school Legend of Zelda Classic Sword from ThinkGeek?

8. Fabulous finds for geek fashionistas.

Any geek fashion fan will tell you that one can never have too many Loungefly bags.

Covered in fun patterns, the company’s ubiquitous handbags, backpacks, wallets, coin purses, and other carry-alls allow pop culture lovers to take their favorite fandoms with them wherever they go.

If you’re shopping for a Potter-phile, you’ll want to pay homage to Hedwig, Harry’s righthand owl:

And prequel fans will lose their Jedi cool over this Phantom Menace Chibi Character Print Backpack:

If you think geeky handbag gifting doesn’t get any better than this, you haven’t seen Sent From Mars’ lovingly crafted, amazingly textured and detailed creations, including this Millennium Purse, inspired by a certain scoundrel of a Star Wars smuggler.

Ignore all those cheesy seasonal jewelry commercials. That special geek someone deserves a a spangly sparkler that’s as unique as they are, and RockLove has just the thing.

The jewelry maker’s exquisite collections are the stuff of nerd legend. Personally, I’m partial to the limited edition Acorn Totoro necklace, at left, and the astounding, interactive Little Mermaid Shell necklace.

 

That really cool person on your Christmas list deserves some really cool kicks.  Fortunately, Po-zu makes Star Wars footwear so sleek and stylish, the shoes bring balance to the Force, and they happen to be ethical and sustainable, too.

There are many exciting options for fans of Kylo, Rey, and Reylo alike, including the Kylo Ren hightop  at left, available for preorder, and the extravagantly-priced Rey Hi Boot (just look at it though!).

If bright, cheery, affordable vintage accessories are more your holiday shopping speed, FemmeDeBloom’s got your back. The small shop’s colorful, handmade earrings, pins, cufflinks, and collar clips are heavily inspired by Disney, but other fandoms are accounted for as well.

Here’s a peek at the shop’s charming Holiday Collection:

My new favorite, however, is the Jolly Holiday Collection, with fetching accessories inspired by Disney’s original Mary Poppins:

I warned you the Porgs would be back, and here they are. The weird and cuddly Last Jedi critters might be soooo last year, but I can’t quit them. They’re just too delightful.

If you know someone who feels the same, you might consider dropping at least $25 on geeky fashions from Her Universe, so you can score their free collectible holiday pin, signed by company founder and voice of Ahsoka Tano, Ashley Eckstein (pictured below).

Yes, that is a Porg in a Santa hat and scarf. The wintry wonderland creature is also featured on a comfy sweatshirt. Season’s squeakings!

 

If you want to pull out all the stops to impress that very special geek fashion fiend, Elhoffer Design is where it’s at. A playful, high-quality alternative to officially licensed clothes, Elhoffer creations are like nothing you’ve seen before.

The shop offers sweaters, dresses, capes, cardigans, and other items that evoke celebrated imagery and characters from the likes of Harry Potter (the Badger Oversized Sweater, at left), Marvel, Studio Ghibli, Game of Thrones, Hamilton, Parks and Recreation, and Disney (Lost Princess Wrap Dress, at right).

For licensed superhero fashions that break the mold, there’s Hero Within, elevating looks based on Marvel and DC properties to a sophisticated new level.

The company just unveiled a pair of Aquaman-themed shirts, one dedicated to badass mermaid Mera, the other to the undersea star of DC’s latest film, starring Jason Momoa.

 

9. Let them shop local. 

My sister kindly reminded me that one of the best things you can give is a gift card or certificate to a local comic book shop, geeky boutique, or small business. There’s something so personal about gifting locally and it benefits your community.